Forgotten Pictures

I was browsing in my picture folder today and I found a bunch of pictures taken from vacations that I had completely forgotten about. We had a few outing to some amazing waterfalls and "bassins" and I wanted to share the pictures with you. Have a lovely day!

Trois Bassins in St. Giles
1st




































2nd




































3rd

Ups and Downs

Something I forgot to post:

Not everything works out perfectly. Well, when I think about it most things don't! But then again maybe what I thought I wanted, was not really what I needed...
The past few months have been a little discouraging in the way that, things I had hoped for didn't turn out. Most recently I was looking forward to belly dance and Bollywood shows in Malaysia. The organizer didn't follow through with his promises and so we couldn't go. At first I was really bummed. I had been looking forward to these shows for a few weeks now and it felt like just another thing that "had" to go wrong for me this month!
Time seems to change our perspective. Now when I think over the past months I can only remember the things that did work out for me.
-I passed my driver's license.
-Phil and I were able to sell a few things before leaving.
-We got to see most of our friends in the last week.
-I got to dance one last time for a very appreciative audience.
-Phil's ticket was booked easily and we got the same flight and even the seat next to me!
-Our move went better than expected.

I tend to be pessimistic at times, and it really helps if I take a few steps back and look at the full picture. Things aren't usually as bad as I make them out to be. One of my favorite quotes that make me smile: "When life gives you lemons, take them. Because, hey...FREE lemons!"

I'm a Driver!

I'm so excited I got my driver's license! This has been such a stressful time for me, learning how to drive from scratch in a short amount of time. But now it's all over and I can just relax and enjoy. A big thank you to everyone who sent well wishes and prayed for my test--you guys are wonderful!

To anyone here in Pretoria looking for a good driving school I recommend My Driving School. They have very nice, easy-to-drive-cars, and good instructors.
http://www.mydrivingschool.co.za/

Yum-Scrub!

In the cold and dry climate we have here in Pretoria it's hard for me to keep my skin happy and healthy. I had some recipes for DIY body scrubs and I thought it wouldn't hurt to try. After all I have most of the ingredients in my kitchen. No need to go buy some expensive moisturizer or scrub! I found a lot of different recipes online and some helpful articles as well...( it's not a good idea to use anything you find in your kitchen!! )

Here's the concoction I made:
4 tbsp coffee ( I used "used coffee grains"
3 tbsp sugar
5 tbsp olive oil ( use just enough oil to moisten and barely cover the other ingredients )

Mix well together and store in a little jar. Voila! You have your very own body scrub.

Start out making a small amount as these scrubs won't last too long. It's also nice to add some essential oils to give your mixture that extra special touch. My scrub already had a lovely coffee scent so I didn't need to add any more. I just used this recipe last night and it was amazing! The coffee smelled so good and scented the whole bathroom. My skin felt so soft and smooth--all in all it was a success. I'll be trying different recipes in the future.
Nice article with helpful tips on how to make your own body scrub!
http://www.cancerlynx.com/bodyscrub.html
Easy-to-make recipes.
http://www.freebeautytips.org/body-scrubs.html

Dream Big

Step Ahead is an Early Childhood Development Seminar developed and conducted by Focus on Action, a South African based organization.
The goal of the Step Ahead program is to provide training to assist parents, teachers, and caregivers in becoming proficient educators thus helping to maximize the child's potential even before the years of formal education.

Topics covered in course material:
Childhood Development
Motor Skills Development
Vision and Motivation in Teaching
Behavior Management
Learning Through Play
Early Reading
Building General Knowledge
Pre-Writing Skills
Communication Skills


This is the awesome project I get to work on! Since I got into teaching it has been my dream to have seminars where I could teach parents and teachers all that I had learned. Teaching is like a never ending journey full of excitement, accomplishments, and sometimes setbacks. I do miss it at times. But with Step Ahead I'll get to teach again, and this time to adults! There is still work to be done, a few tweaks to make, so we hope to start giving seminars March 2011. I am so happy that I get to do something I love and believe in. Every time I see a child lacking love, attention, and proper care it hurts. I wish I could take that child and give him everything I know he deserves. I'm just one person though and I know that by myself I'll hardly make a dent in the sea of neglected children. But if I could educate the parents and teachers then they could make a lasting difference the lives of their children and students.--and that is my dream.

Our Beautiful House

Just some pictures so you don't need to imagine what our house looks like....you'll know! I'm sure you'll agree that it's beautiful and we're soooo blessed to live here!

Val de Grace

...Our new neighborhood. We are moving, finally! After some time in "moving mode" (you know, with boxes everywhere and labels on everything) I am so excited to finally get everything out of our old house and set up the new place. Last month has been really busy with seminars, fund-raising, and friends leaving. So it feels good to start the new month fresh!--In a new house with new friends and co-workers.
Tout et bien qui finit bien!

Shosholoza Train Ride and.....Capetown!!!

Capetown!

This week was full of events, and lots and lots of work. Most notable happenings are:
-I attended a 2 day life-coaching seminar
-helped with preparations and hosting of the seminar
-learned balloon sculpturing
-went to the restaurants Friday, Saturday, and Sunday making balloons for the children

And here's the best news yet: I'm going to Capetown!!!....tomorrow! We have to get up early and we're taking the train down. I've always wanted to go to Capetown it's hard to believe that it's actually happening. :)

What I've Been Up to Lately...

Playing2Win in Hatfield

Skits and plays












Talking with the fans...and getting "I was there" photos
























Free face painting































The dance groups performing